DeJong is now 12-for-39 in 10 games in August with five home runs, eight runs scored, 11 RBI, and one steal. He had been splitting time at third base with Brady House, but got the start at first base on Sunday and could see more work there now that Nathaniel Lowe is no longer with the team. We saw DeJong get hot for a stretch last week, and he has enough power to remain fantasy-relevant in deeper formats while he’s swinging it well.

DeJong has seven hits, including two homers, the last three days, raising his OPS from .617 to .723. We wouldn’t say that’s a good thing for the Nationals if it causes him to get a bunch of playing time over younger guys, but maybe it won’t come to that.

DeJong smacked an RBI single off of Justin Verlander in the fourth inning that extended the Nationals’ lead to 5-0. He also added a run-scoring knock off of Spencer Bivens in the sixth that made it 6-0. On the season, the 32-year-old infielder is now hitting .243/.287/.393 with three homers, 12 RBI and four swipes in 115 plate appearances.

The Nationals entered the home half of the first inning trailing by three runs, but a two-run single from Alex Call trimmed that deficit and DeJong erased it for good with an opposite-field 387-foot (104.7 mph EV) three-run blast. That would be his only hit in four at-bats on the night, but it did more than enough damage. For the season, the 31-year-old infielder is slashing an underwhelming .210/.269/.323 with just one homer and six RBI in his first 67 plate appearances.